Lubrication system for internal-combustion engines



Oct. 4 1'9 27 R. L. SKINNER LUBRICATION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed May 28. 1926 Reti 'jN ei 1? P 'Q 'i W freeman: m mma ml saleari eiii sirsrn'ivi ron: m -aamacmeusme Enemies,

hpplieatidnifiled lday28, 1 92c; Serial; a. 112,290}.

v 7 novel features: of. construction in internfat c ombustion engines or mo't'ors 'and pertains particularly to improvements or bett merits in thelubricw tion systein's threoff,- whereby to: maintain the lubricant 'or oill in better condition for the performance of its *fi-iction'reducing properties." V

Ole aim of the invention is to treat the oil to eliminate'its gasifiable ingredients or invention relat'e's constituentswith' which it mayhave become contaminated or polluted, preferably, but not necessarily", under the influence of a par-. 'tial vacuum andund'er 'heat,-' the rectified oil being returned to the engine or motor for further use By thus maintaining the oil in good" con j dition, many advantages accrue, partic'u v larly the Wear-Ofthe moving parts is materially reducedaifording the engineja longer serviceable life. One feature of the invention resides in the aeration ofthe withdrawn impure oil which considerably facilitates and aids the reclaiming or purifying processQ To enable those skilled in this art to have a full ui'iderstandingof the invention and its several advantages, a presentdesirable embodiment of the same has been illustrated in; the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification-and towhich refer ence shouldbe had in connection withthe following detailed description of'the appliance therein shown. r i

In this drawingz I Fig'ure'lis a side elevation ofa'n internalcombustion engme equlpped withthenew appli ance; ,and I Figure--2-i'sa vertical section through the rectifier. 7

Referring to this drawing, it will be seen that the internal-combustion engine 10 has the usual crank-case 11 containing a supply of oil, a gear-casing 12 associated with the front end thereof, the customary carburetor 13 delivering the gaseous fuel mixture through a pipe or connection 14 into the intake-manifold (not shown), and the exhaust-manifold 15 equipped with a. part 16 through which a portion of the hot' discharging gases flow to heat the upper portion of an oil-rectifier 17 which may be of any appropriate structure, such for example, as is presented in my earlier United States Patent No. 1,502,921, granted July 29, 1924:.

Such Qil" 'sep'arz i tor 'or rectifier is connected bya pipe 18 to the intake manifold connection: 14: and it is' also" joinedftothe crank-case '1 1 at a point 21 below the oil level therein bya pipe'19." i The pipe ortube 22 delivers the aerated oil withdrawn from around the reciprocab ingpistons'ofthe engine, as disclosed in my above-identifiedearlier United States patent,3.to the1p-ipe19. I I The suction presentin' [the rectifier, created" bythe sub-atmospheric pressure in the intake-manifold. acting throughthe pipe 18 serves to draw or suck oil-char ed airout of'the top of the gearicas'ing oe ousin-g 12 through a pipe'25, through a hollow heated conduit 24 on the top of the rectifier heater I6 and through a pipe 23 joined to the pipe-1 9. v

Thus the column" of oil ascending from the crank-case th'ro ugh the pipe19, by rea' son of the suction existing in the rectifier, becomes m ixe'd with [and more or less charged with air from the aerated oil flowing into' pipe- 19 through pipe 22, additional aerating air being drawn" into the oil through" the pipes" 23, 245, and 25. r

The-withdrawal of thisfsmall amount of oil-charged air fro'nr'the upper part of the crank-case through the gear-casing tends not, only to keep the gears in the latter;well lubricated butitalso prevents etching or corrosionof the'parts by'the'removal of the water, vapor ormoisture, and it serves also to maintain a slight vacuum in the crank-case, thus overcoming any tendency for theo'il to leak ou-twar bearings. 1 1 Hence the column of'oil isa'erated by the two supplies of air, one from the air-charged oil entering through the pipe 22 and the through the other from the heated, oil-charged air fiowing through the conduits 23, 2 1, and 25, it being understood, of course, that the air passing through pipe 22 is more or less heated by reason of its having passed through oil-collecting channels or grooves in the heated engine pistons.

7 Thus all of the oil entering the rectifier through the tubular connection 19'is adequately permeated or subdivided by'the air assuring a complete and efficient purification of the oil in the reotifier,'wherein all of its gasifiable or vaporizable contaminating constituents are drawn ofi"; under the heat and suction action into the intake-manifold where they pass into the cylinders and are consumed as fuel in the usual way, the redefined by the appended claims, is not lim ited or restricted to this single particular embodiment and many changes may be incorporated therein and the structure still fall within the purview of the invention and have many of the important advantages ac.- cruing from the latter.

For example, either one of the two aerating means for the withdrawn crank-case oil may be-used singly, and, in fact, the two means for withdrawing or abstractin the oil from the piston channels and for rawing off the oil-laden air from the gear-case and associated crank-case may be used satisfactorily together without the liquid oil sucked from the sump or lower part of the crank-case.

I claim:

1. In an internal-combustion engine lubrication system, the combination of means to withdraw liquid lubricant from the crankcase of. the engine, means to aerate such lubricant after its withdrawal by .air taken from the crank-case, means to rectify such aerated. lubricant, and means to return the purified lubricant to the lubrication system of the engine. I

2. .In an internal-combustion engine lubrication system, the combination of means to Withdraw liquid lubricant from the crankcase ofthe engine, means to aerate such lubricant after its withdrawal by oil-charged air from the crank-case drawn through the gear-case connected therewith, means to rectify such aerated lubricant, and means to return the purified lubricant to the lubrication system of the engine.

3. In an internal-combustion engine lubrication system, the combination of means to withdraw liquid lubricant from the crankcant with aeratedlubricant withdrawn from around the pistons of the engine, means to rectify such mixed aerated lubricant, and means to return the purified lubricant to the lubrication system of the engine.

5. In an internal-combustion engine lubrication system, the combination ofmeans to withdraw lubricant from around the pistons of the engine, means to aerate such lubricant after withdrawal by air withdrawn from another part of the engine, means to rectify such aerated lubricant,- and means to return the purified lubricant to thelubrication sys-.

tem of the engine. ,1 I

6. In an internal-combustion engine lubrication system, the combination of means to withdrawaerated lubricant from around the pistons of the engine, means to further aerate such lubricant after withdrawal, means to rectify the aerated lubricant, and means to return the purified lubricant to the lubrication system of the engine.

7. In an internal-combustion engine lubri cation system, the combination of means to withdraw liquid lubricant from the crankcase of the engine, means to aerate such lubricant after withdraw-a1 by air withdrawn from the crank-case of the engine, means to mix such aerated lubricant with other aerated lubricant withdrawn from around the pistons of the engine, and means to rectify the completely aerated lubricant, and means to return the purified lubricant to the lubrication system of the engine.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

RALPH L. sKINNER. 

